Contact: Maya Polon, maya@paschalroth.com
Sacramento, CA – The Building the California Dream Alliance today announced that the coalition of more than 60 progressive organizations succeeded in rebalancing California’s priorities this year by holding fast to a unified policy agenda aimed at lifting up California’s vulnerable communities. Nine significant policy changes backed by the coalition were signed into law by Governor Newsom, and another, ACA 8, moved forward for voters to decide on the November ballot (Proposition 6).
“Standing strongly together, across more than 60 diverse organizations, we’ve made real progress this year on ensuring the California Dream is attainable by everyone in California, no matter their background. We thank Governor Newsom and legislators for standing with the Building the California Dream Alliance to support policies that build a stronger economy and more equitable state,” said Jassy Grewal, Legislative Director with UFCW Western States Council.
“Our organizations stood together to fight for racial justice, economic opportunity, and health care access among other issues that are critical to historically disadvantaged communities. Although we were up against monied interests, we’ve proven that by standing together we are strong enough to win for our communities. We are proud that our work leaves the state in a better place to serve ALL of its residents, and we’ll build on this success as we continue to empower and lift up all Californians,” added Carmen-Nicole Cox, Director of Government Affairs at ACLU California Action.
The Building the California Dream Alliance was founded in 2015 to further a progressive, positive vision for California, offering a sharp contrast to the Chamber of Commerce’s cynical, anti-worker, anti-environment agenda. Each year the coalition outlines an ambitious agenda to uplift families, empower workers and communities, and expand opportunities for all Californians to take part in the California Dream. This year’s enacted priorities include the following:
Civil Rights (Disability Rights)
SB 1103 (Menjivar) – The Commercial Tenant Protection Act of 2024 supports diverse small business owners striving for the California dream by helping commercial tenants remain in place – including increased notice periods, and ensuring lease agreements are written in the same language in which they are negotiated.
Gender Equity
SB 1137 (Smallwood-Cuevas) – Amends California’s anti-discrimination laws to clarify that these laws protect against discrimination based not just on one protected characteristic, but also because of the intersection or combination of two or more protected characteristics (e.g., gender and race).
Healthcare and Long-Term Care Access for All
AB 3161 (Bonta) – The Equity in Health Care Act, requires the collection of demographic data from hospitals and long-term care facilities to track trends of biased behavior in care. This new law will also provide pathways to civil rights for those who experience trauma from racial discrimination and ultimately should improve patient trust in the healthcare system.
Immigrant and Refugee Justice and Integration
SB 1132 (Durazo) – Clarifies that county health officers have the authority to inspect private detention facilities as deemed necessary, including those used to detain immigrants in our state. This bill will also ensure that public health regulations and standards are upheld in private detention facilities for the health and safety of people detained and working in these facilities.
Income and Food Security
SB 1089 (Smallwood-Cuevas) – Mitigates the harms of abrupt disruptions in access to food and prescription medication, especially in underserved communities. It also requires 45-day advance notifications, for establishments not covered under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, to affected communities, employees, and other stakeholders, before the closure of a grocery store or pharmacy. Lastly, it implements the Reparations Task Force Report recommendations to address food injustice.
LGBTQ Equality and Rights
SB 729 (Menjivar) – Advances reproductive freedom in California by requiring large group health plans to provide coverage for fertility and infertility care, including IVF. The bill will also update the definition of “infertility” to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ family planning experiences and help to ensure that anyone seeking to build a family has equitable access to infertility treatment and care.
Racial Justice
ACA 8 (Wilson) – The End Slavery in California Act empowers voters to amend the state constitution to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude in all forms. ACA 8, on the November ballot as Proposition 6, makes communities safer by prioritizing rehabilitation.
Financial Security (Retirement, Taxation)
SB 1090 (Durazo) – Allows workers to apply for Paid Family Leave and State Disability Insurance before their leave begins, so they can get confirmation that they will receive benefits before they miss out on necessary income and receive benefits sooner.
SB 1061 (Limón) – Prohibits credit reporting agencies (CRAs) from placing medical debt on credit reports, and prevents medical debt information from being shared with CRAs. This bill will remove barriers to healthcare access and increase access to credit, housing and employment.
Worker Rights
AB 2499 (Schiavo) – Moves protections for survivors of violence into the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), improves access to reasonable accommodations, and adds protections for family members of survivors.
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ABOUT THE BUILDING THE CALIFORNIA DREAM ALLIANCE:
We are united in our commitment to the equal worth and dignity of every Californian, inclusive of race, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, disability, health status, or age.
Together, we will fight for our communities – for broadly shared prosperity and economic security, educational and job opportunities, a clean environment and a healthy planet, quality and comprehensive healthcare for all, reproductive rights, responsive and democratic government, a strong safety net, and justice for all.
California must do a better job of putting our communities and people first – ahead of profit or political gain, and we are working together in order to realize that goal.
THE BUILDING THE CALIFORNIA DREAM ALLIANCE INCLUDES:
ACCE, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, ACLU California Action, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-CA, Black Women for Wellness Action Project , Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, California Attorneys For Criminal Justice (CACJ), California Calls, California Donor Table, California Domestic Workers Coalition, California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA), California Environmental Justice Alliance, California Environmental Voters, California Food & Farming Network , Californians for Safety and Justice, California Labor Federation, California Immigrant Policy Center, California NOW, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Reinvestment Coalition, Catalyst California, Center for Responsible Lending, Child Care Law Center, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Consumer Attorneys of California, California Chapter (CAIR-CA), Courage California, Disability Rights California, Drug Policy Alliance, Earth Justice , Economic Security Project Action (ESPA), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, End Poverty in California, Equality California, Equal Rights Advocates, Friends Committee on Legislation of California, GRACE/End Child Poverty CA, Harm Reduction Coalition, Health Access, Housing California, Housing Now!, Latino Coalition For A Healthy California , Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the Bay Area, Legal Aid at Work, Lutheran Office of Public Policy, NARAL Pro-Choice California, NextGen California , PICO California, PolicyLink, Public Advocates, SEIU California, Sierra Club California, Smart Justice,TechEquity Collaborative, The California Coalition for Worker Power, UFCW, Voices for Progress, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Worker-Owned Recovery California Coalition.
Contact: Maya Polon, maya@paschalroth.com